Game chat: Hopeful Phillies open weekend set at Shea

The hometown nine and their depleted pitching staff continue to fight for their playoff lives as a pair of ancient wonders open up a three-game series in New York. Game time is 7:10 p.m. ET.

Series pitching preview: Tonight: Jamie Moyer (13-11, 5.23) vs. Tom Glavine (13-6, 3.95); Saturday: Kyle Lohse (8-12, 4.47) vs. Pedro Martinez (2-0, 1.80); Sunday: Adam Eaton (9-9, 6.31) vs. Oliver Perez (14-9, 3.42).

Preview: The Phillies enter 1 1-2 games back of the Wild-Card leading Padres and trail the Mets by 6 1-2 in the division. Since sweeping the Mets Aug. 30, the Phils have gone 6-7 and lost 4 1-2 games on the division leaders, who’ve gone 10-2 in that span. Since I’ve been out of the loop for most of those games, I refer you to The Good Phight, which offers a handy preview of the weekend series. TGP scribe, dajafi, notes that the high-leverage relievers, Tom Gordon, Brett Myers and J.C. Romero, are relatively well-rested, and that it was the Phils’ bullpen that shined in the four-game sweep. He also makes a valid point that the Phillies have much more at stake than the Mets, however the pitching match-ups probably favor the home blue. Most are expecting one-out-of-three. I do not like Moyer's chances tonight.

Last night: The Phillies beat the Rockies 12-4 to split the 4-game series and finish 4-3 on their homestand. Starter J.D. Durbin lasted just 1.0 innings allowing 3 runs and 8 baserunners. Geoff Geary (W, 3.0 IP), Clay Condrey (1.0 IP), Kane Davis (1.0 IP), Antonio Alfonseca (1.0 IP), J.C. Romero (1.1 IP) and Jose Mesa (1.0 IP) combined to allow 1 run over the final 8.0 innings. Aflonseca was suspended four games for throwing at the head of Rockies first baseman Todd Helton.

Pat Burrell in New York: Pat Burrell has 41 career homers against the Mets, which is the most among all active players. All-time, he has 5th-most, trailing Hall of Famer Hank Aaron by four (45). Burrell also has 102 career RBI against the Mets, which is 2nd among all active players (18th all time), trailing only Chipper Jones (118), who has played 46 more career games against New York.

Lineups have been posted: Jeff Conine starts at first for the Mets, with Lastings Milledge in right. Carlos Ruiz, Jayson Werth and Abraham Nunez get nods for the Phillies. [Live Boxscore]

Comments

[CJ]

"however the pitching match-ups probably favor the home blue."

However, the hitting match-ups probably favor the road white and red.

[clout]

CJ: Gray and red.

P.S. Does anyone know if Happ is hurt? Or Mateo? Can someone give me one sound baseball reason why Happ isn't given a start in place of Durbin or Eaton? How about a sound baseball reason why Mateo isn't in the 'pen instead of Mesa? Anybody? Please?

[clout]

The reason wouldn't be money, would it?

[John Kruk]

I'd give my left nut for a win tonight.

[Ben Keeler]

Hoping for the best tonight. Hoping Moyer has one more magical night left in that left arm.

[AWH]

clout, once again, you choose to ask common sense questions, for which the Phillies' management have nonsensical answers.

Logic does not dictate what this team does.

For instance (yes, gentle readers, the horse is dead), why do you sign a backup catcher to a $3 mill contract when you need relief pitching? Why do you sign a starting pitcher with a lifetime ERA+ of less tha 100 to a three-year $24 mill contract?)

clout, stop making sense. You're confusing Bill, Dave, Pat and ruben...and dave and marty and....

[CJ]

I, too, can't fathom why Mateo isn't on this team. If he's a criminal, throw him in jail. If he's not yet a criminal, put him on the mound. It's not like he poured gasoline on a bunch of people and assaulted them with machetes!

[CJ]

Full lineups, since I haven't seen them yet...

Phillies
SS J. Rollins
2B C. Utley
LF P. Burrell
1B R. Howard
CF A. Rowand
RF J. Werth
CA C. Ruiz
3B A. Nunez
PI J. Moyer

NY Mets
SS J. Reyes
2B J. Castillo
3B D. Wright
CF C. Beltran
LF M. Alou
1B J. Conine
CA P. Lo Duca
RF L. Milledge
PI T. Glavine

[CJ]

Phils vs. Glavine:

Burrell: .273 in 66 ABs with 3 HR, 11 RBI, .827 OPS

Rollins: .380 in 71 ABs with 6 HR, 13 RBI, 1.232 OPS

Nunez: .345 in 29 AB!!!!! Huh?

Howard: .333 in 21 AB with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1.100 OPS

Utley: .208 in 24 AB with 0 HR and 3 RBI

[Tray]

Clearly we should have started Nunez at second.

[CJ]

Tray: Clearly. Glavine has Utley figured out!! ;-)

[CJ]

And Wright has Moyer figured out... ugh, those kind of homers are to be expected with Moyer on the mound.

[Sophist]

I'll take Moyer's one-run first innings over Eaton or Durbin's first innings anyday. The Phils can allow plenty of one-run homers - they just need to keep Reyes off-base.

[CJ]

Sophist: I agree... Moyer will RARELY shut anyone down. They key is to avoid the walks and the big innings. We know we have to outscore teams when Moyer is pitching.

[madubbs]

once again ruiz swings first pitch...against glavine you need patience, but i guess you figure with nunez on deck he felt pressure to get a hit...

[Sophist]

I missed the top of the first, but Glavine isn't looking very sharp: a hard hit, long out by Howard; hard liner by Rowand; some off pitches to Werth and a hard liner. And as I type this, the Phils blow a chance with a GIDP.

[curt]

Standard Ruiz AB. The guy has learned nothing this year about hitting in the ML.

[JD]

Moyer looks pretty good so far.

[Tom]

So has Victorino officially lost his job?

[Sophist]

The Mets are old. It's a testament to how horrible the Phillies pitching is that the Mets have won this division as easily as they have this year.

[Run Up The Score]

Am I allowed to ask what the hell is with the fake moustache guy over the shoulder of the right-handed hitters on the close-up camera shots?

[Run Up The Score]

Trivia answer: Who holds the record for most walks in a six game series?

I don't know, Darryl Strawberry?

[JD]

It seems like Victorino isn't fully recovered. Not that they would bench Werth anyway....

[Sophist]

Glavine doesn't have it tonight. He's thrown about 7 pitches to Moyer.

[bathtubhippo]

some guys might take pointers from that AB by moyer.

[Sophist]

11 pitches! Ruiz took 1!

[JD]

I agree. Make Glavine throw a lot of pitches

[curt]

You mean "See Ball Swing Bat Ruiz" maybe.

[Run Up The Score]

Baaaaaaaaaaaahahaha! That was great.

Did Reyes just get tossed after he flung the bat away?

[Sophist]

Moyer is getting Glavine's zone.

[jeremy]

ahahaha definitely a ball but definitely absolutely fucking hilarious

[Sophist]

Mets feed is saying he got fined.

[Run Up The Score]

Nope. Still in there. Too bad.

[JD]

Those strike calls against Reyes were not good...But I can live with that.

[Sophist]

I can't live with 3 straight scoreless innings from the Phils, though.

[Sophist]

Make that 4 straight.

[JD]

Let's hope Moyer can go for awhile.

[Sophist]

Just can't walk batters.

[Andy]

Any idea why Moyer threw an Eephus pitch with speed on second?

[JD]

That sucked.

[Andy]

ouch

[Sophist]

Can't walk 2 runners in one inning. I still can't believe how old the Mets lineup is tonight. They follow Alou with Conine.

[JD]

Nice DP.

[curt]

Good to see Niner back in the NL East.

[king myno]

All we ask of our starters is to be decent, and Jamie is doing that so far. To not supply him with any run support would be a damn shame.

[JD]

Speaking of old, they had Ralph Kiner in the broadcast booth. He has to be at least 125 years old. Still knows baseball, though.

[JD]

Rowand swinging at the first pitch for a nice ground out.

[Andy]

Nice to see Rowand being patient.

[curt]

Phils look like they want Glavine to go 9.

[JD]

Crap!

[Andy]

Where are the Phillies who scored 12 yesterday?

[JD]

That was so yesterday!

[Sophist]

Score some damn runs!

[Mike]

Glavine couldn't be happier with the Phils' approach tonight.

[Andy]

Well, y'all know how it is. Over the length of the season most teams tend to regress to close to their career norms. So we need to get shut-out a few times. Evidently.

[curt]

Seems like just last year when LoDuca could hit.

[JD]

Excellent! Jamie got out of that one unscathed.

[JD]

That's a good Nunez AB

[Sophist]

Walking Nunez is like walking the pitcher.

[Andy]

c'mon J-Roll. If anyone can hit this turkey...

[Sophist]

Keith Hernandez thinks Reyes would have it 17 more homers this year in CBP.

Come on Utley!

[Mike]

Burrell's gonna have to homer off Wagner again if they don't get their acts together.

[Sophist]

Excuse me, that's "if he played in CBP"

[Mike]

If Jose Reyes didn't play in New York he'd have about 25% of the hype.

BOOM CHASE!

[JD]

NICE !!!

[joe]

yep, glavine owns utley.

[Andy]

MVP.

[Sophist]

CHASE!!

[Andy]

Now. Kill'em.

[JD]

Great at bat by Utley.

[king myno]

Just when you think you're out, this team pulls you back in.

[Mike]

Love how quiet it just got at Shea.

[Run Up The Score]

PtBB.

[JD]

Using CBP as an excuse for everything is quite tiring.

[Run Up The Score]

Come on, Ryan. You've hit two hard tonight.

[Sophist]

He is just not throwing strikes. Let's get Burrell on so Howard can drive another one.

[Sophist]

Damn. Can't complain though. Howard's hit the ball well twice.

[JD]

So much for that shutout!

[Andy]

The side effect of the Glavine strike zone is that players start swinging at bad pitches. Because the first pitch was a called strike, Howard had to attempt the third one. It did not look like a good pitch to hit.

[Andy]

Moyers simply cannot give up a run here.

[JD]

Howard does that anyway, not just against Glavine

[Andy]

Oorah. Are these guys good or what? (Phils middle infield.)

[Tray]

63 pitches, 5 2/3.

[JD]

Another good inning by Moyer.

[Andy]

JD: yeah, but tonight, that last pitch was closer than the first one, which was a "strike." When balls are strikes it's harder to be patient.

[Sophist]

47 strikes and 19 balls too.

[JD]

Can we get at least 2 more innings out of Jamie?

[Andy]

Moyer might go 7. Or at least the Chollie book 6 2/3 maximum.

[JD]

Andy, I have no idea what the strike zone is anymore anyway.

[Andy]

Thank you for not swinging.

[Sophist]

He's only thrown 66 pitches. The only reason to take him out is if he always a couple of extra base hits in a row.

[Tray]

7? He could go 9 at this rate.

[AWH]

Galvine is at 84 pitches. The highest BA against him is in the 7th inning. 2nd highest BA, .265, is after 75 pitches. Here's hoping.

[Andy]

Ugggghhh. I retract my staement. One of the first two would have definitely been better.

[JD]

He could go 9, but Cholly would never let that happen

[AWH]

They have Glavine at a high pitch count, yet show a singular inability to work the count in that situation and make him throw pitches.

Except of course Chooch, who works him to a full count in this AB, but swung at the first pitch wth RISP. Ugh!

[Sophist]

Big out there after going down 3-0 in the count. . .

[JD]

Great job, J-Roll

[Sophist]

J-RO!

[AWH]

JRoll - WOW!